Closure fastener



Aug. 28, 1951 CLOSURE FASTENER Filed May 11, 1948 E. M. BoRcHERs 2,566,015 v Patented Aug. 28, 1951 American Cabinet Hardware Corporation,V

Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 11, 1948,.Serial' No. 26,411

12 Claims.

The present invention pertains to closure fasteners of the type used on kitchen cabinets and the like in cooperation with a strike for releasably holding the cabinet doors closed'.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a fastener for cabinet doors which is effectual in operation, capable of being quickly land easily applied and manipulated, of simple forth, together with other and ancillary ad-` vantages are attained by the construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fastenerv embodying the features of the present invention7 showing the same installed on a cabinet door.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken substantially in the plane of line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fastener operator and strike.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the fastener operator.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the fastener installed on `a different form of cabinet door.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the strike used with the fastener.

While the invention is ,susceptible of various modications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

The improved closureV fastener `is of the type adapted for use with either wood or sheet metal cabinets and comprises in general a base and a latch and operator therefor supported on the base for coaction with a strike, the whole fastener being adapted for mounting on the outer surface of the cabinet door to the end that no holes or recesses other than= those to accommodate mounting screws or the likeare required. More particularly I` use to advantage a pivoted, spring' biased lever having one arm serving both as a vingerpiece for the fastener and as a pull for the door on which the fastener is installed and the other arm supporting a hook element forfpositive latching engagement' with a strike, the pivotal axis of the lever being substantially in ValinementY with the strike withY the result that engagement and disengagement of the fastener therewith isI facilitated;v

In the drawings there are shown for purposes of illustration, fragmentary parts of a cabinet including a'wall III, on whichis secured a strike I I, and a doorv I2?, on which theimproved fastener, generally designated I3; isL mounted. The strike I'I, as shown is of simpler form' extendingV per-v pendicularly outwardV from the Wall III and is fashionedv from heavy sheetv metal having sections` struck out tovprovide catch engaging portions I'4 and Ma. Y

Theeexemplaryfastener includes a base I5 and an operating lever I6 pivotally supported on. the base. shown, the base I5 is fashioned from a. blankv of sheet` metal` toprovide a laterally extending flange` II and an elongated housing. I8. The flange I'IfV serves to=support the fastener on the door I2', andy to this end it isV provided with countersunk holes VI9 for the reception Vof mounting screws 20. The housing I8v is inthe form of a hollow rib disposedv substantially at right angles to theiiange I1.

Provision is made for the reception of the strike` II within, the rib I8 when the door is closed. To this enclV the door. side of the rib is left open, and in the presentinstance the outer wallI of the7 housing I8 has a lateral extension 2| Ytherein which isadapted to extend beyond the Alo.

edge ofthe door t2, when` thefastener is installed thereon, for the receptionof. the strike- I I.

The lever Illv of the fastener is of generally bell-crankform having an arm 22 constituting a finger pieceand a second arm. 23 disposed substantially atright angles to the arm 22- and supporting a hook element 24 for engagement with the strike I'I. In the exemplary embodiment thev lever I6 is fashioned from a. blank of sheet metal` and the hook element 24 is in the form of a tongue struck outwardly at anangle from the arm 23. ToA provide suiilcient rigidityA the inner 'end' of the arm 23'is bent rearwardly to form a stiifening flange 25.

To position the hook 24 within the housing Il of the base I5 for engagement with the strike II,

the housing I8 has a longitudinal slot 26 therein adjacent its outer wall through which the arm 23 of the lever I6 is passed. The lever I6 is retained in assembled relation on the base I by means of a pin 21 secured transversely of the housing I8 intermediate the ends thereof and guidingly received inA a holef28 inthe arm 23 'of the lever. To prevent rocking of .the lever AII on the pin 21 the arm 23 of the lever is of narrower width than the arm 22 thus leaving longitudinally projectf ing shoulders 22a and 22h extending beyond the l, ends of the slot 26 for engagement with the hous-4 The arm 23 and the'hook 24 are yield-j` ing I8.

4 I4 the strike is scored as at 30 so that it can be readily broken off and discarded.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a closure fastener for a door a catch adapted for use with a strike plate having a flange for mounting the same on the door frame and a'catch engaging portion fextending outwardly therefrom, said catch comprising, incombinaably urged into latching position by means of'a spiral spring 29 interposed between the Varm 23 and the inner wall of the housing rmandsllpported by the pin 21, thus normally maintaining the lever I6 in the position shown in-Figs.`^'^1f and 3.

1f 'Provision is made tol permit free-movement (of 'the arm 23 over the-pin 21 as the lever is operated. Thus, in the present instance, the body `of the pin 21 is'tapered, decreasing-indiameter `"from the end secured in the outer wall vof the lrib IIB, so that movement of the'arm 23-wil1 not cause lthe'pin to bind inthe hole 28.Y

Application of 'a force to the finger piece-'22 fin a'direction to'o'penthe door I2 fulcrums the lever I6 on the outer` edge 26a of the slot '26,y

and moves the arm 23 laterally within the housing I8 against the actionoi' the springv29. VSuch 'jniovement ofthe arm 23 carries the hook 24 -clear ofthe strike portion'vl4 permitting the door I2 to be open. Upon pushing the door I2 closed, -the hook 24`hits the strike portion I4 and cams the arm 23 laterally inwardly against the action ofthe spring 29 until the hook is in position for latching engagement with the strike whereupon the spring 29, which was compressed by the cam-fm ming `action, is effective to move the :arm-23 laterally outwardly thus carrying the hook 24 under the strike portion I4 to latch the door closed. l

' vIt is to be noted-especially that thefulcrumingl of the lever I6 on the outer slot edge 26a locates 'the pivotal axis o! the lever substantially in alinement with the strike II. Thus very little movement of the lever is required for engagement land disengagement, thereby facilitating itsi action. Additionally such construction eliminates 'the necessity for a pivot pin or thev like.'

, The instant fastener can be used equally well on, many forms of doors. For example, inv Figs.

`1-3 inclusive the fastener is shown installed on an overlapping type door, and in Fig.'6 the fastener is shown installed on a flush mounted door.

AThe only difference between the two installations comes not in the fastener itself, but rather in the strike. Referring particularly Yto Fig. 7 it will be notedv that the strike, as previously set Where such heightis unnecessary 'as "hook 24. To' facilitate the removal of the portion tion, a base providing an apertured flange for at- 'tachment of the catch to the outer face of the door andincluding a hollow channel-shaped rib hav- 4ing a flat outer wall for disposition in flush relation to theedge of the door, said rib having a slot therein adjacent said outer wall, an operating lever having one arm extending through said slot and a hook rigid with the inner end thereof, said arm having a hole therein intermediate its ends, a`pin secured transversely of the rib and received in said hole toretain said lever arm in .assembled relation-on saidbase while permitting movement of v.theflever arm with `respect thereto upon fulcruming the same on thel outer edge of the slot, and a springY supported by the pin and disposed between the inner wallvof the rib and the lever arm and operative to urge the lever arm -and hook -into 'latching position wherein rsaid arm -abuts the inner face of the outer wall of the rib,

and said hollow rib having a-boss formed in the outer wall thereof and projecting-laterally beyond the `door' edge fo'r the reception of said strike portion therein to 'said hook. l. vv2. In a closure fastener fora door aV catc adapted for use'with a strike plate having a flange for mounting the same on the door frame and aY permit engagement by catch engaging portion extending outwardly therefrom, said catch comprising, in combination,

la base providing an apertured flange for attachment of the catch to the outer face of the door and including al hollow channel-shaped rib having an outerwall for disposition in ilush relation to the edge 'offthe door, said rib having a slot therein adjacent said' outer wall, an operating lever having one arm extending through said slot and a hookl rigid with the inner end thereof,

-means operative to retain said arm in assembled relation on saidbase while Vpermitting movement of said arm with respect thereto toward and awa7 from saidouter wall, and spring means interposed between the inner wall of the rib and the lever arm and operative to'urge the lever arm -and hook into latching position. said hollow rib vhaving a bossformed in the outer wall thereof and projecting laterally beyond the door edge for the reception of the strike portion therein to vpermit engagement by said hook.

EARL M. BORCHERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES' PATENTS.

I l Date Number -Name e Y 216,195 Leech f June 3,- 1879 311,721 1885 558,366 1896 1,177,446 1,916 1,692,178 Lippert Nov. 20, 1928 2,026,830

Everhard Jan. 7, '1936 

